Yellow pea fiber improves glycemia and reduces Clostridium leptum in diet-induced obese rats

• Published in: Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 714 - 722
• Main Authors: Eslinger, Amanda J, Eller, Lindsay K, Reimer, Raylene A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adiposity; Animals; Area Under Curve; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Composition - drug effects; Clostridium - drug effects; Clostridium - growth & development; Diet, High-Fat; Dietary Fiber - pharmacology; Dietary Fiber - therapeutic use; Energy Intake - drug effects; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Gastrointestinal Tract - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; Glycemia; Male; Microbiome; Microbiota - drug effects; Obesity; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - metabolism; Obesity - microbiology; Oligosaccharides - pharmacology; Pisum sativum - chemistry; Pulse grain; Rat; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Weight Gain - drug effects; high-fat/high-sucrose; oral glucose tolerance test; PS; pea starch; Rat; peptide tyrosine tyrosine; mRNA; Pulse grain; MTT; AUC; sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c; Adiposity; messenger RNA; ribosomal RNA; PFL; pea flour; OFS; Obesity; ACC; GLP-1; rRNA; glucagon-like peptide 1; HFHS; meal tolerance test; area under the curve; DIO; oligofructose; SCFA; SREBP-1c; diet-induced obese; short chain fatty acid; PYY; pea fiber; fatty acid synthase; PF; FAS; acetyl coA carboxylase; OGTT; Glycemia; Microbiome
• ISSN: 0271-5317; 1879-0739
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.07.016

Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated the impact of functional fibers on gut microbiota and metabolic health, but some less well-studied fibers and/or fractions of foods known to be high in fiber still warrant examination. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of yellow pea-derived fractions varying in fiber and protein content on metabolic parameters and gut microbiota in diet-induced obese rats. We hypothesized that the yellow pea fiber (PF) fraction would improve glycemia and alter gut microbiota. Rats were randomized to 1 of 5 isoenergetic dietary treatments for 6 weeks: (1) control; (2) oligofructose (OFS); (3) yellow PF; (4) yellow pea flour (PFL); or (5) yellow pea starch (PS). Glycemia, plasma gut hormones, body composition, hepatic triglyceride content, gut microbiota, and messenger RNA expression of genes related to hepatic fat metabolism were examined. Pea flour attenuated weight gain compared with control, PF, and PS ( P < .05). Pea flour, PS, and OFS had significantly lower final percent body fat compared with control. Oligofructose but not the pea fraction diets reduced food intake compared with control ( P < .05). Pea fiber resulted in lower fasting glucose and glucose area under the curve compared with control. Changes in gut microbiota were fraction specific and included a decrease in Firmicutes (percent) for OFS, PF, and PFL compared with control ( P < .05). The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was reduced with OFS, PF, and PFL when compared with PS ( P < .05). Taken together, this work suggests that yellow pea-derived fractions are able to distinctly modulate metabolic parameters and gut microbiota in obese rats.